System, apparatus and method to process documents according to document processing profile

Abstract

Tools (for example, system, apparatus, application software, a method, etc.) can be provided for processing scan images corresponding to a hardcopy document that has been scanned according to a document processing profile. For example, when such profile specifies a division size, the scan images corresponding to the scanned hardcopy document may be assembled into multiple divided image files (each no greater than the division size) and such multiple divided image files are sent to a specified scan image target as a grouping of divided image files associated with the hardcopy document.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A multi-function image forming apparatus comprising:
 an operational display to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) including a profile selection GUI portion that provides, for user selection, plural registered document processing profiles corresponding to respective specific scan image targets, each registered document processing profile indicating a specific pre-configured division size corresponding to a maximum file size limitation permitted by a respective specific scan image target; 
 a document scanner to scan a hardcopy document and generate one or more scan document images, and submit the scan document images for further processing according to a selected document processing profile corresponding to a specified scan image target; and 
 a file conversion module embodied in a non-transitory storage medium and executable by a processor to process the scan document images according to the selected document processing profile, 
 wherein the file conversion module processes the scan document images in accordance with the specific pre-configured division size indicated in the selected document processing profile amongst the plural registered document processing profiles, and based on the selected document processing profile, assembles the scan document images sequentially into divided image files each having a file size no greater than the specific pre-configured division size specified by the document processing profile corresponding to the specified scan image target, and sends, to the specified scan image target corresponding to the selected document processing profile, the multiple divided image files as a grouping of the divided image files associated with the hardcopy document and assembled based on the document processing profile corresponding to the specified scan image target to ensure that the divided image files comport with file size requirements of the specified scan image target. 
 
     
     
       2. The multi-function image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the file conversion module assembles the scan document images one-by-one into an image file, and determines that when a next scan document image, not yet assembled into the image file, would, if assembled into the image file, increase the file size of the image file to be greater than the pre-configured division size, the next scan document image is assembled into another image file. 
 
     
     
       3. The multi-function image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a send-to-email module to send a scan output file to a specified e-mail address, 
 wherein the operational display provides a send-to-email options GUI portion for user selection of email division options, the selectable email division options including an email size divide option to limit an e-mail sent by the send-to-email module to no greater than an email division size, and 
 when the email size divide option is selected and a sum of the file sizes of the grouping of the divided image files associated with the hardcopy document exceeds the email division size, the send-to-email module divides the grouping of the divided image files associated with the hardcopy document into multiple subgroups of the divided image files and sends multiple emails with the respective subgroups as attachments thereto. 
 
     
     
       4. The multi-function image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plural document processing profiles correspond to respective venues, and each document processing profile indicates a division size corresponding to a maximum file size limitation of the venue corresponding to the document processing profile. 
 
     
     
       5. The multi-function image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the operational display provides a metadata entry GUI portion for user entry of metadata for the hardcopy document, and 
 the file conversion module generates file names in which, for each file amongst the divided image files associated with the hardcopy document, the file name for the file includes (i) a shared name portion associated with the hardcopy document constituted by specified metadata and associated with the hardcopy document, and (ii) a suffix portion unique to the file and appended to the shared name portion. 
 
     
     
       6. The multi-function image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the file conversion module assembles each of the divided image files to a file type specified by the selected document processing profile. 
 
     
     
       7. A document processing system comprising:
 a multi-function image forming apparatus including:
 an operational display to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) including a profile selection GUI portion that provides, for user selection, plural registered document processing profiles corresponding to respective specific scan image targets, each registered document processing profile indicating a specific pre-configured division size corresponding to a maximum file size limitation permitted by a respective specific scan image target; and 
 a document scanner to scan a hardcopy document and generate one or more scan document images, and submit the scan document images for further processing according to a selected document processing profile corresponding to a specified scan image target; and 
 
 a document processing apparatus configured to receive the selected document processing profile and the scan document images from the multi-function image forming apparatus, the document processing apparatus including a file conversion module embodied in a non-transitory storage medium and executable by a processor to process the scan document images according to the selected document processing profile, 
 wherein the file conversion module processes the scan document images in accordance with the specific pre-configured division size indicated in the selected document processing profile amongst the plural registered document processing profiles, and based on the selected document processing profile, assembles the scan document images sequentially into divided image files each having a file size no greater than the specific pre-configured division size specified by the document processing profile corresponding to the specified scan image target, and sends, to the specified scan image target corresponding to the selected document processing profile, the multiple divided image files as a grouping of the divided image files associated with the hardcopy document and assembled based on the document processing profile corresponding to the specified scan image target to ensure that the divided image files comport with file size requirements of the specified scan image target. 
 
     
     
       8. The document processing system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein
 the file conversion module assembles the scan document images one-by-one into an image file, and determines that when a next scan document image, not yet assembled into the image file, would, if assembled into the image file, increase the file size of the image file to be greater than the pre-configured division size, the next scan document image is assembled into another image file. 
 
     
     
       9. The document processing system as claimed in  claim 7 ,
 wherein the document processing apparatus further comprises a send-to-email module to send a scan output file to a specified e-mail address, 
 wherein the send-to-email module limits an e-mail sent by the send-to-email module to no greater than an email division size, and when a sum of the file sizes of the grouping of the divided image files associated with the hardcopy document exceeds the email division size, the send-to-email module divides the grouping of the divided image files associated with the hardcopy document into multiple subgroups of the divided image files and sends multiple emails with the respective subgroups as attachments thereto. 
 
     
     
       10. The document processing system as claimed in  claim 7 ,
 wherein the plural document processing profiles correspond to respective venues, and each document processing profile indicates a division size corresponding to a maximum file size limitation of the venue corresponding to the document processing profile. 
 
     
     
       11. The document processing system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein
 wherein the file conversion module assembles each of the divided image files to a file type specified by the selected document processing profile. 
 
     
     
       12. A method performed in a multi-function document processing system including an operational display and a document scanner, the method comprising:
 (a) providing on the operational display a graphical user interface (GUI) including a profile selection GUI portion that provides, for user selection, plural registered document processing profiles corresponding to respective specific scan image targets, each registered document processing profile indicating a specific pre-configured division size corresponding to a maximum file size limitation permitted by a respective specific scan image target; 
 (b) generating one or more scan document images obtained by scanning a hardcopy document, by the document scanner; 
 (c) processing the scan document images in accordance with the specific pre-configured division size indicated in the selected document processing profile amongst the plural registered document processing profiles, and based on the selected document processing profile, assembling the scan document images sequentially into divided image files each having a file size no greater than the specific pre-configured division size specified by the selected document processing profile corresponding to the specified scan image target; and 
 (d) sending, to the specified scan image target corresponding to the selected document processing profile, the multiple divided image files as a grouping of the divided image files associated with the hardcopy document and assembled based on the document processing profile corresponding to the specified scan image target to ensure that the divided image files comport with file size requirements of the specified scan image target. 
 
     
     
       13. The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein
 the processing in (c) includes assembling the scan document images one-by-one into an image file, and when a next scan document image, not yet assembled into the image file, would, if assembled into the image file, increase the file size of the image file to be greater than the pre-configured division size, assembling the next scan document image into another image file. 
 
     
     
       14. The method as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 providing send-to-email functionality to send a scan output file to a specified e-mail address; and 
 providing a send-to-email options GUI portion on the operational display, for user selection of email division options, the selectable email division options including an email size divide option to limit an e-mail sent by the send-to-email functionality to no greater than an email division size, 
 wherein when the email size divide option is selected and a sum of the file sizes of the grouping of the divided image files associated with the hardcopy document exceeds the email division size, the send-to-email module divides the grouping of the divided image files associated with the hardcopy document into multiple subgroups of the divided image files and sends multiple emails with the respective subgroups as attachments thereto. 
 
     
     
       15. The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the plural document processing profiles correspond to respective venues, and each document processing profile indicates a division size corresponding to a maximum file size limitation of the venue corresponding to the document processing profile. 
     
     
       16. The method as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 providing a metadata entry GUI portion on the operational display for user entry of metadata for the hardcopy document; and 
 generating file names in which, for each file amongst the divided image files associated with the hardcopy document, the file name for the file includes (i) a shared name portion associated with the hardcopy document constituted by specified metadata and associated with the hardcopy document, and (ii) a suffix portion unique to the file and appended to the shared name portion. 
 
     
     
       17. The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein each of the divided image files assembled in (c) has a file type specified by the selected document processing profile.